Ladder bracket for supporting paint pails



June 24, 1952 MlLEs 2,601,413

LADDER BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING PAINT PAILS Filed Feb. 24, 1947 INVENTOR.

.fiemesmles Lfli'iy.

Patented June 24, 1952 LADDER BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING PAINT PAILS James Miles, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,363

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device to be used by painters when working on a ladder, for example, where they are painting on the side of a building; and the purpose of the device is to provide means for supporting a paint-pail or bucket from which the painter is using the paint.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character, presenting a throat between two jaws, which enables the device to be applied to the outer side or outer edge of the stringer, and so that the supportin hook for the bail of the bucket, is located adjacent the outer side face of the ladder stringer, so that the pull in the bail, due to the weight of the bucket, will force the jaws against the side faces of the stringer, and provide a safe support for the bucket.

When the device is applied to the ladder stringer, its body is tilted to an inclined angle, and of course the depressed side is the one that is being pulled down by the weight of the bucket. I am aware of the fact that devices have been patented, in which a device of this character, presents two oppositely disposed fixed jaws, which cooperate with the ladder stringer in the manner referred to above. One of the objects of my invention, is to provide means on a device of this character, which will enable the distance between the jaws, to be varied in order to adapt the device to operate serviceably with ladder stringers of different thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, which can be very inexpensively constructed from a blank stamped from a relatively thin plate, or from sheet metal.

Another object of the invention is to improve the general construction of bucket hangers adapted to be used on a ladder stringer, as suggested.

When painters are Working on a job, they open many cans of paint through the day. These cans usually have a lid that is forced down into the mouth of the can, and is friction-tight when in position. There is a bead around the edgeof this lid, below which an annular recess presents itself for the insertion of a lever, such a a screwdriver,

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an eflicient ladder bracket for supporting paint-pails.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a side stringer of a ladder, illustrating a bucket-hanger of my invention, attached to the same and supporting a bucket, and the lower portion of which is broken away, as also are the ladder stringer and a portion of a ladder rung, which is illus trated in connection with the stringer.

Fig. 2 is a plan upon a reduced scale, of the hanger illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken about on the line 33 of Fig. 2, to illustrate a feature of construction for this device, which enables it to perform the function of lifting the lid of a paint-can.

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1, but upon a reduced scale, and illustrating another embodiment or form my invention may take.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating how this buckethanger may be employed as a hook if desired, to hang it on a rung of a ladder.

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Fig. 1, I indicates a portion of a ladder stringer as viewed from the front.

My bucket or pail-hanger preferably includes a body 2 of plate-like form, which presents a throat 3 between two jaws 4 and 5, said jaws presenting edges 6 and I, which respectively engage the inner face 3 and the outer face 9 of the ladder stringer.

In accordance with my invention, the jaw 5 is movably mounted on the body 2, and this jaw is preferably mounted on a pivotal connection. In Fig. 2 the axis of this pivotal connection is substantially at right angles to the plane of the body 2; in other words, the movable jaw is attached on the face of the plate that forms the body 2. In order to accomplish this, as illustrated in Fig. 2, I prefer to construct the body so that it presents an extension or bar 10, the inner edge I l of which forms a considerable angle with the inner edge 6 of the jaw 4, and this bar I0 is connected with the jaw 4 by a cross bar 12 that preferably forms an obtuse angle with the jaw 4 and the extension bar 10. From the edge I l the tongue 13 extends, and on this tongue the movable jaw 5 is mounted on a pivot H, which may consist of a rivet. (See Fig. 1). The jaw 5 may be called a jaw plate, because it is of plate-form, and as illustrated in Fig. 2, this plate is in the form of a triangle, presenting three edges as shown, which edges are at different distances from the pivot I4. In practice, I prefer to mount this jaw plate 5, on the under side of the body 2. With this construction it will be evident that the jaw plate 5 can be set in different positionsso as to present any one of its three side edges to the ladder; or, any one of the points of this triangular plate 5 may be swung around into a position where .it will be opposite jaw 4. In this way, the hanger is adapted to cooperate with ladder stringers having different thicknesses.

If desired, the tongue I3 may be provided with an integral laterally disposed spur l 5, adj acentto which a re-entrant angle I6 is formed, which adapts this spur to perform the function of a bottle opener.

At a convenient point on the body 2 beyond the side face .9 of thestringer, the body 'is provided or formed into a hook to receive the bail I! of a bucket l8, tosupport thebucket. This hook is disposed in ,a direction which will enable the plane of the bail toassume approximately the position in which it is in a plane converging toward the ladder in an upward direction from its pivots, such as the pivot or gudgeon l9 where the bail is attached to bosses 20 at diametrically opposite points on the bucket or pail. In the present instance, this hook 21 is formed as an extension from the outer end of the bar [0, and is bent around to form a bight 22, the interior of which forms a socket for the upper end of the bail I1; and beyondthis socket 0r bight 2 2, the material which forms the hook is bent into a rudimentary roll or eye the axis whereof extends substantially parallel to the adjacent sideface of the stringer l; and this hook, as illustrated, has an extension 23 that converges toward the body 2, and the end of this extension is bent over to form a bill 24, presenting a curved face 25 toward the relatively narrow throat 26 between it and the under side of the plate. This throat is quite narrow, so as to prevent any possibility of the hook from coming off of the bail accidentally.

In some situations where the space at the side of the stringer is not clear, for example, where it is obstructed by the presence of a tree or other object, it may be necessary to support the bucket in some other way than that illustrated. Under these circumstances, the hanger can be employed so that it operates as a'hook-shaped'hanger hung on one of the rungs of the ladder as illustrated in Fig. 5. In other word-s,'.the jaw 4 operates as the bill of a hook :seating over the ladder rung 21, as

shown in Fig.5.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which, instead of mounting the jaw plate on a pivot such as the pivot I4 that holds it against the face of the body 2,,I provide a jaw or jaw-plate 28, the inner edge of which is attached by a'hinge connection 29 to the under face of the body 2a-of the hanger. This hinge joint 29 is preferably-a stiff joint, so that the jaw 28 will not move too freely on its joint. This enables the position ;of the .outer edge 30 of the plate, to

assume any desired position through a considerable range that will enable it to cooperate with the edge 6a indicated .in .dotted lines in Fig. 4, which corresponds to the edge 6 of Fig. 2. In this connection, it should be understood that the axis of the hinge connection 29, is substantially parallel to the edge 6a of the inside jaw 4a of this hanger. The outer end or edge of the body 2a, has an integral extension that is bent down to form a hook 3|, somewhat as'indicated, to support the bail of the bucket. Of course, when the pulling force is developed in the bail of the bucket to support the weight of the bucket, this force will cause the edges 6a and 30 to bite into the sides of the ladder stringer la, and provide a secure support for the'bucket.

When ;it is desired to raise or lower the hanger on the stringer, it is merely necessary to lift the [bucket by its bail sufficiently to relieve the hanger of the pull of the bail upon it, whereupon the hanger can be moved slightly out of its inclined position toward a horizontal position, whereupon itcan be readily slid up or down on the stringer; and as soonas the weight of the bucket is communicated again to the outer portion of the hanger, the jaws will again operate to bite into the inner and outer faces of the stringer to support the bucket.

Painters frequently have to open cans of fresh paint, and have to keep a tool or a knife handy for prying up the edges of their lids. In order to enable this device to perform that function, I may provide the point of junction of the jaw 4 and the bar.l2 with a tip 32 (see Figs. 2 and 3) that is offset down from the plane of the body of the device. This tip can be inserted under the edge of .a paint can lid to pry it up and start it, when openingit.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hanger for supporting a painters pail at the side of the painters ladder, said hanger having a plate-form body including two jaws presenting edges spaced apart, with a throat between the same, to receive the side stringer of the ladder, said jaws having substantially parallel edges to bite against the lateral side faces of the stringer, with the outer portion of the plate projecting laterally from the outer side face of the stringer; said plate form body having an integral plate-form hook bent around a substantially horizontal axis substantially parallel with the adjacent side face of the stringer and forming a socket to receive the bail of the bucket and support the bail with the arms of the bail lying in a plane inclining upwardly toward the ladder; said hook operating to support the pail with its side resting by gravity against the lateral side face of the stringer in a fixed position, thereby facilitating the eificient wiping of the painters paint brush against the lip of the bucket.

2. A hanger for supporting a painters pail upon a ladder having a side stringer, said hanger having a body of plate-form, with a jaw .atits inner end presenting an edge extending transversely on the said body, adapted to engage the inner lateral :face of the stringer, said body further having a plate-like jaw-plate with a stiff joint connecting the same to said body, so that the jaw plate projects downwardly from the underside of said body at an angle to the plane of the body, and presenting an edge toward the stringer spaced from said first named edge, to form a throat to :receive the stringer, the lower edge of said .extensionoperating to bite against the outer lateral side of the stringer and cooperating with the first-named edge to support the said hanger on the stringer, said body having a hook formed thereon to receive the hail of the pail for. supporting the same.

3. A bucket hanger for attachment to the side stringer of a painters ladder, said hanger having a plate-form body with a throat extending into the same through its side edge, the side edges of said throat operating as jaws for respectively biting against the inner and outer faces of the said stringer, said throat adapted to be applied to the stringer by a lateral movement of the hanger, said body also having a hook beyond the outer side face of the said stringer, said hook having means for holding the bail of the bucket disposed in a plane inclined to the plane in which the side of said stringer lies, so as to support the bucket with its side resting against the outer side of said stringer, whereby the pull of the bail upon the hook maintains said jaws in engagement with the inner and outer faces of the said stringer, one of said jaws being integral with said body, the other of said jaws having a pivot connection to said body and capable of rotating on said pivot connection to vary the position of the edge of that jaw, thereby adapting the hanger to co-operate with ladder stringers of different thickness.

4. A [bucket hanger according to claim 3 in which the said pivoted jaw presents a plurality of edges located at different distances from the pivot, thereby enabling it to be rotated so as to present edges at different distances from the opposite jaw.

5. A bucket hanger according to claim 3, in which the pivotally connected jawis of plate form, and mounted on a stiff hinge joint for rotation on an axis substantially parallel to the side face of the said stringer thereby enabling the pivoted jaw to assume an angle in which it inclines downwardly from the pivotal connection toward the side face of the stringer, said pivoted jaw having a form at its lower end enabling it to bite against the said face of the stringer when the pivoted jaw assumes said inclined position.

6. A bucket hanger according to claim 3, in which the pivotally connected jaw is of plate form, and mounted for rotation on an axis substantially parallel to the side face of the said stringer thereby enabling the pivoted jaw to as sume an angle in which it inclines downwardly from the pivotal connection toward the side face of the stringer, said pivoted jaw having a form at its lower end enabling it to bite against the said face of the stringer when the pivoted jaw assumes said inclined position.

7. A hanger for supporting a painters bucket having a pivoted bail at the outer side of a side stringer of a painters ladder, said hanger having a body of plate-form with two opposed jaws the adjacent edges whereof are adapted to be applied respectively to the inner and outer faces of the said stringer, the outer of said jaws being of plate-form and inclining downwardly with its lower edge engaging against the outer face of said stringer, said body having a plateform hook-extension projecting laterally outwardly from the side of said stringer, said hook extension bent inward toward the jaws to form an eye capable of supporting the bail of the bucket in a plane inclining upwardly toward the side face of said stringer, with the side of the bucket resting against the said outer face of the stringer in a state of equilibrium.

JAMES MILES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 141,498 Edmonston Aug. 5, 1873 1,398,851 Garven Nov. 29, 1921 1,808,647 Fazekas June 2, 1931 1,877,019 Nathan Sept. 13, 1932 2,086,280 Matter July 6, 1937 

